Category Archives: NBA

Let’s get the obvious out of the way. The NBA will never come to Columbus. The Cavs would probably have something to say about that (and to a lesser extent, the Pacers). So why not go for the next best thing, the WNBA? The Cavs should be receptive to that and probably would help in running a prospective franchise here.

Now before you double over in laughter, hear me out. Columbus has a history when it comes to Professional Women’s Basketball. The Columbus Quest of the ABL played here in Columbus from 1996-1998. The Quest was the league’s most successful franchise & won two championships. Over 6,000 showed up for the team’s deciding game in the 1998 ABL Championship.

The Ohio State Women’s Basketball Team also has a history of success, turning out great players like Katie Smith (who also played for the Quest) and currently, Kelsey Mitchell.
Let’s be honest. Columbus has a very diverse population and an audience looking for more than just Ohio State Football these days. I think the WNBA could carve out a fan base here. Plus, Nationwide Arena could use another tenant to fill in open dates outside of Blue Jackets hockey.

I used to be a BIG Jim Rome fan.
Romie used to be a big deal “back in the day”. Talking “smack”, running bad callers & gaining a huge legion of fans…his ‘clones’. Rome even had tour stops (of which I attended three) that drew thousands. The “SmackOff”, which was a competition amongst the best callers, used to generate huge buzz.

But times & people change. The smack now seems stale, the personal appearances now only draw a few & the “SmackOff” is now just cringe inducing. Hell, ESPN even dumped Rome and he is fading away on the now near dead CBS Sports Radio Network. Once in awhile CBS throws Jim a bone and lets him appear on their NFL Coverage but usually those segments are now used by those on social media to goof on “Van Smack”.

It was a fun ride Romie, but it’s over. Time to put away the smack talk & call it a career.
Time to give yourself a ‘manual buzzer’.

It’s the beginning of a New Year and with that time once again for each of us to make our New Years Resolutions.

What are your ‘Sports Resolutions’ for 2016?
Is it to be a better fan of your teams?
Is it to be more critical of your teams?
Is it to actually get off the couch and participate in a sport?
Is it to lessen your sports spectating?
Is it to watch more sports?
Is it to ‘cut the cord’ and go to more streaming services to watch sports?
Is it to give up on sports altogether?
Is it to maybe start watching and following a new sport?
Is it to maybe help in coaching youth sports?

Feel free to share your New Years ‘Sports Resolutions’ with us and tell us how you do as the year progresses. The Sports Bus cares.

CLEVELAND BROWNS- Hope, any glimmer of hope. All the fans of this downtrodden franchise want is a sign that the light at the end of the tunnel isn’t an oncoming train.

CINCINNATI BENGALS- Success on the “big stage”. This is the season where the Bengals need to show their fans that they can deliver in ‘primetime’. Yes, Andy Dalton is injured…but AJ McCarron should keep the ship afloat until the “Red Rifle” can return in the playoffs.

OHIO STATE FOOTBALL- A convincing win over Notre Dame in the Fiesta Bowl. Yes, the dominating victory over Michigan was nice but Buckeyes fans need a big win over the Irish to take the sour taste of no return to the College Football Playoff out of their mouths.

CINCINNATI REDS- A blueprint of a true, concrete plan. Most reasonable Reds fans probably understand the need for the mid-market team to shed payroll. But those fans also need to see what is being done to rebuild….or maybe just get some more sweet bobbleheads.

CLEVELAND INDIANS- A sense of direction. Is this team really in it to win it or just to keep their heads above .500? The franchise has made some vaguely interesting moves so far this offseason to pique interest among the fanbase but is it enough to compete in the AL Central?

COLUMBUS BLUE JACKETS- Leadership from within. Yes, the hiring of John Tortorella as head coach should provide discipline but the team needs leadership from the players themselves. Nick Foligno was elected captain but it still seems like someone, anyone, needs to start being a bit of an asshole in the locker room. Nice guys finish last especially in the NHL.

CLEVELAND CAVALIERS- A NBA Championship. Pure and simple. This team is the only real hope Cleveland has of bringing a title to the city. If they fail this season, it doesn’t look possible anytime soon.

OHIO STATE BASKETBALL- A .500 season with maybe a couple of Big Ten Tournament wins would be nice. Kentucky win aside, this is a very young team and is due to disappoint Buckeyes fans a few more times this season. If they could sneak into the NCAA Tournament, that would be a bonus.

UC & XAVIER BASKETBALL- To use a cliche, “You keep being you”. Both of these teams exemplify why the city of Cincinnati is a true college basketball gem. UC & X are very good teams with great coaches at the helm. Added bonus, neither coach looks to be wanting to go elsewhere which should mean continued success for a long time.

I am not a fan of “Weird Al” Yankovic. The only thing of his I even remotely like is “Amish Paradise”. Everything else of his I find rather annoying. But I will be damned, Al & Company just perfectly captured the world of sports media in a 3:30 skit.